Box



1951 A. c. ERTNER 2,563,827

BOX

Filed Sept. 17, 1949 INVENTOR. Auausr C. ER'TNER A TTORNEYS PatentedAug. 14, 1951 BOX August 0. Ertner, Seattle, Wash.

Application September 17, 1949, Serial No. 116,251

4 Claims.

The requirements of the fruit picking and packing industry annuallyconsume millions, even billions, of board feet of the highest grade oflumber in the construction of field boxes and shipping boxes, andthereby decrease the amount of high grade lumber available for otherpurposes. Field boxes are usable repeatedly, yet are subject to breakagefrom time to time, so that a large number of them have to be replacedeach season, and shipping boxes, such as are used for apples, pears,peaches and the like, to the number of hundreds of thousands, areshipped out and are not returned, for it is uneconomical to return themempty, even if the purchaser and consumer were inclined to cooperate intheir return, which seldom he is. Thus while wooden boxes areindividually fairly cheap, and the trade is accustomed to using suchboxes, and has boxmaking and top-nailing machines and the like for usewith wooden boxes, nevertheless because of the wastage of a valuable andincreasingly scarce natural resource, it is becoming more and moreimportant to provide a substitute for the wooden box, equally suited forthe same uses and in substantially the same general manner as are woodenfruit boxes, but more durable, and capable of and of a nature toencourage return and re-use.

The general object of this invention is to provide a box of the generalnature indicated, made of a material such as sheet metal, light yetinherently durable, collapsible for economy and convenience in returnshipment, usable as a field box without a cover, or equally well as ashipping box with a cover applied, and sufliciently inexpensive that,considering its much greater life, and taking into account the cost ofreturn shipment, it becomes cheaper in the end than the wooden boxes.

Wooden boxes lend themselves readily to stacking and handling in tiersthree, four, or five boxes high, or even considerably higher inwarehouse storage. Because of this capability, various box dumpingdevices are in widespread use, particularly in citrus fruit areas, forhandling, dumping, and returning field boxes. In storage sheds, fruitpacking plants, and in warehouses lift trucks handle such tiered boxes.In consequence it becomes a necessity that any substitute for the woodenbox be equally capable of being stacked several high, and it is anobject of this invention to provide means whereby this is readilyaccomplished in the sheet metal box, and indeed to improve upon thecapability of the metal box of this invention, a box properly stackedupon another cannot shift either laterally or longitudinally withrespect to the immediately supporting box, but instead is held firmlyand securely in correct vertical alignment, and may, in turn, supportanother box in similar alignment.

In connection with the ability to stack the boxes it is a further objectto provide stacking means of such nature, and so arranged with respectto the box, that these stacking means will not interfere appreciablywith the collapsing of the box for return shipment, but will, when partsare moved into the collapsed position, be themselves moved out of theway, and into positions where they are not likely to be injured.

It is also an object of the invention, and necessary to the attainmentof the main objective of a reasonably cheap box, to make the box partsand the stack controlling elements thereof in simple, economical form,of materials readily and cheaply available, and put together with aminimum of assembly operations.

It is a detail object to provide such a bottom for the box, and such aninterlock thereof with side walls of the box, that there can be nopossibility of the bottom falling through, notwithstanding that it ishingedly or otherwise movably mounted with respect to the side walls,nor, on the contrary, is there any possibility of the bottom shiftingupwardly toward collapsed position when once it has been moved into and.locked in setup or operative position.

Further objects, and particularly such as relate to details ofventilation, of providing handholds or grips to lift the box, and likeadvantages, or conveniences, will be determined more fully as thisspecification progresses, and by inspection of the drawings, or will becontained within the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown embodied in atypical box form, the principles whereof will be pointed outhereinafter, and which can be embodied in various other forms ofexecution.

Figure 1 is a general isometric view of a shipping box with parts in asetup position, in the main, and with various elements broken away forbetter illustration of details and interior construction.

Figure 2 is in part a general longitudinal sectional view on a verticalplane through a lower box and a part of an upper box stacked thereon,and in part a side elevational View of the same.

The box illustrated is a typical apple box comprising longer side wallsI and shorter end walls 2.

3 These walls are made of sheet metal, and are hingedly connected attheir corners by hinge pins 3. Each wall I and 2 is beaded or similarlyreinforced at its upper end as indicated at A for the wall I, and at 5for the wall 2. 'By such beads and by the flange formation of theiredges, such as is best shown in Figure 2 at 6, these walls arestiffened, and of course, they are stiffened vertically by theinterlocking hinge eyes that receive the hinge pins 3. r

A bottom 8 of a size to close in the space within the enclosure definedby the walls I, and 2, is hingedly or otherwise movably mounted upon oneof the walls, such as a side wall I, the hinge being indicated at 9 inFigure 2. Along at least its opposite edge, and preferably along all itsother edges, the bottom is flanged as indicated at II] to interfit withthe flanges 6 of the other walls. When thus inter-fitted the bottomedges are securely and firmly supported, to supportin turn the weight ofthe fruit placed within the box. To further insure the integrity of thebottom, particularly against its being pressed upwardly, a latch l l iscarried on the bottom'and engages lockingly beneath the edge of a sidewall, or several such latches may be provided.

The box as described thus far constitutes a complete box, entirelysuitable for use as a field box, and to it may be applied a cover 13,flanged over at at least two edges, as indicated at [4, to embrace thebeads 4 of the side walls, and it might similarly embrace the beads 5 ofthe end walls, or it may be, and preferably is, flanged at Hi to fitsomewhat inside the beads 5 of the end wall.

While the box so far described will constitute walls or the box below,rather than through the bottom or top, in part. Since these stacking orstack retaining means should be of a nature that will permit theiremployment when the box is used as a. field box without a cover, and aswell when it is used as a shipping box with a cover, and because supportof an upper box upon the cover of a lower box is undesirable in anyevent, it is evident that it is necessary to provide supports for theupper box which, to some degree, span the space within the enclosuredefined by the walls I and 2; of the box, and which will functionWhether or not a cover is used, to aiford adequate support independentlyof the cover. While the supports for this purpose as herein shown areprovided at the ends only, spanning the. space between the two oppositesidewalls, it would be merely an extension of the same principle to spanthe space between the two. end walls instead, or even to span the spaceacross corners betweenend walls and side walls.

As a'convenient means of supporting a stacked box, while stillpermitting collapse of the box proper, I provide bars I8 which areconveniently formed of stout wire, of a length to extend from one sidewall I to the other, and to rest upon both, spaced somewhat inwardlyfrom the end walls 2 .of the box. These bars are conveniently supportedupon arms l9 which for simplicity are formed from the same piece ofwire, with their endsv turned inwardly, shown at 2|], for receptionwithin the beads 5 at the upper edge of the end walls, as a hinge. Bysuch means, the bars I 8 may be hinged over to overlie the enclosedspace as shown at the right in Figure 1, or can be sprung aside to lieoutside of, and somewhat below, the top edge of the end wall and in thesame general plane as the outwardly directed bead 5 thereof, as shown atthe left in Figure 1. By inclining the arms l9 downwardlyfrom the hinge'at 20, when the bar l8 rests upon the top edge of the sidewalls, and bydirecting the wire upwardly at 22 to the ends of the bar I8, theextensions 22 serve to grip the beads 4, and will yield the extent ofthe thickness of the flanges l4, thus to hold the bar [8 frictionally insupporting position, and also to retain the cover upon the box.

Such bars will afford support for the box stacked thereabove, but sincethere should also he means to prevent shifting of the stacked box, as apart of the same piece of wire I provide upwardly directed stops 2| ateach end of the bar !8, these continuing on downwardly to constitute theextensions 22 already referred to. The stops 2!, which may be designatedlateral stops, embrace the sides of the bottom of the box stackedthereabove, to prevent its lateral shifting when so stacked.

It is desirable also to prevent longitudinal beyond, the end wall 2, or,otherwise expressed,

of a length to extend from the downswung bar is over the hinge 5, and tobe retained frictionally engaged with the latter. If there is no coveron the box below, the end wall 2 will support the clip in set upposition, and the clip in turn will assist in supporting the box stackedabove, and the stop 24, cooperating with the similar stop at theopposite end, will embrace the bottom portion of the stacked box andprevent its longitudinal shifting. The two clips function insubstantiallythe same manner it a cover is employed. When the bar 18 ishinged over into the inoperative position, shown at the left in Figurel, the clip 25 and stop 24 are not appreciably in the way, particularlyif the stop be hooked over the upper edge of the end wall 2, in themanner already described.

When the box is to be set up for use the walls are hingedly movedfrom aflat collapsed condition into a rectangular enclosing position, and thebottom 8, which has been swung up within the collapsed walls, is nowswung downwardly about the hinge 9 to engage its flange or flanges I!)with the corresponding flange or flanges 6, and its latch I I issecured. Now the box is filled,

and if used as a field box the bars is are thrown securely in place, andwherein they assist in sup porting a box stacked thereupon. The lateralstops 2| and the longitudinal stops 24 automatically assume theiroperative position and enable stacking of the boxes.

Although openings and cracks are inevitable in such a box, if additionalventilation is desiredv .various holes may be provided in the walls ofthe box, as shown at 29, and handholds or slots" for lifting the box areprovided at 39 in the end walls, or as custom or convenience may makedesirable or necessary Securement of the cover merely requires ty' ingtogether the bars l8, and its removal requires no more than the breakingof such ties and swinging upward of these bars, to disengage theextensions 22. When the contents have been emptied, it is only necessaryto disengage the latch H in order to swing the bottom upwardly andthereby enable collapse of the walls, hingin at 3 one upon the other.The parts are sufficiently thin and light that a large number of suchboxes may be stacked or packaged and shipped readily to a collectingpoint for re-use.

It has been found that notwithstanding the somewhat greater initial costof such boxes as compared to wooden boxes, their useful life is so muchlonger than the life of a wooden box, that even considering the cost ofrepeated reshipment, they are still, in the end, much more inexpensivethan wooden boxes.

I claim as any inyention:

1. A box comprising side and end walls and a bottom, and a cross bar ateach end having supporting arms pivotally mounted at the top of thecorresponding end wall to swing about a transverse axis, thus to shifteach cross bar from a stack-supporting position, wherein it extendsbetween and rests upon the opposite side walls, spaced inwardly from thecorresponding end wall, to an inoperative position wherein it liesoutside of and below the level of the upper edge of such end wall, alongitudinal clip supported from each cross bar, and in the lattersstack-supporting position extending outwardly beyond the upper edge ofthe respective end walls, and a stop projecting upwardly from the clipwhen the latter is so disposed, to embrace between the longitudinalstops at the opposite end walls the bottom portion of a superimposedbox.

2. A box as in claim 1, wherein each longitudinal stop is pivotallysupported upon its corresponding cross bar intermediate the lattersends, to hang therefrom in the latters inoperative position, and is of alength to rest upon the corresponding end wall for support, when partsare in stack-supporting position.

3. A box as in claim 1, wherein the cross bar supporting arms arelocated outwardly of the opposite side walls, and in stack-supportingposition of the parts extend downwardly from their pivotal mounts andclosely embrace these side.

walls to retain the cross bars in such position, the box including alsolateral stops carried at the ends of each cross bar, which instack-supportin position of the parts project upwardly above the levelof and lie outside the plane of the respective side walls, to embracebetween them the bottom portion of a super-imposed box.

4. A box comprising side and end walls and a bottom, a wire bent todefine pivot trunnions inwardly directed at each end, two supportingarms, one at each end, formed as a generally radially directedcontinuation of the respective trunnions, and an intermediate cross barportion, each such wire being pivotally mounted by its trunnions in theupper edge of each of two opposite walls of the box, its supporting armsand its cross bar portion being respectively of such length that in astack-supporting position its cross bar portion rests upon and extendsbetween the upper edges of the walls intermediate the trunnion-pivotingwalls, and the supporting arms extend alongside and embrace between themsuch intermediate walls, each wire also including an extension directedupwardly, when parts are in such stack-supporting position, and locatedintermediate the outer ends oi; the arms and the cross bar portion, saidextensions being located outside the planes of the respective intermediate walls, and extending upwardly to embrace between them, asstops, the lower portion of a superimposed box, and a clip pivotallymounted upon the cross bar potrion of each wire, of a length to extendbeyond and. rest upon the upper edge of each trunnion-pivoting wall, anda stop which, when parts are in such stacksupporting position, projectsupwardly above the level of the upper edge of said wall, and incooperation with the opposite stop restrains horizontal displacement ofa superimposed box.

AUGUST C. ERTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 597,065 Loverin Jan. 11, 1898791,794 Johnson et al June 6, 1905 1,187,749 Lane June 20, 19162,023,886 Hoffman Dec. 10, 1935 2,105,179 Best et al Jan 11, 19382,112,451 Best et a1. Mar. 29, 1938 2,395,542 Fordon Feb. 26, 19446

